The plastic bag fee in England may increase to 10p and be extended to all retailers, regardless of size, Prime Minister Theresa May has announced. Currently, only shops with more than 250 employees are required to charge at least 5p for single-use bags. A consultation on the proposed changes will be launched later this year.
The move is part of the government's strategy to tackle plastic pollution. Since the 5p charge was introduced in 2015, the number of bags given out by the seven largest supermarkets has fallen by 86%, from 140 per person in 2014 to 19 in 2017-18. Overall, 13 billion plastic bags have been removed from circulation in the past two years.
Small and medium-sized businesses currently supply an estimated three billion bags annually. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, smaller retailers already charge a minimum of 5p. The Association of Convenience Stores has long campaigned for compulsory charging to be extended to all businesses, noting that about half of convenience stores already charge voluntarily.
The British Retail Consortium supports a mandatory and consistent levy but questioned whether the rise to 10p would yield further significant reductions. Environmental campaign group A Plastic Planet criticised the increase, arguing it unfairly targets consumers while major brands continue to use plastic. Friends of the Earth called for action against other plastic sources like coffee cups and straws.
The charge is not a tax; retailers are expected to donate proceeds to good causes. Between April 2016 and 2017, two-thirds of retailers voluntarily reported donating 4.3p per bag sold, raising over £58.5 million for charitable causes.
